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Alfa Romeo considering Ferrari-developed engines for new product lineup

A report in Bloomberg adds more details to the plans for Alfa Romeo's fourth turnaround plan in Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne's tenure, and this time Ferrari is apparently going to be part of the show. In December Automotive News Europe reported that a new Maserati-derived rear-drive architecture would be the centerpiece at Alfa Romeo, as well as coming Chrysler and Dodge products. At the time, ANE said the platform would support a new midsize sedan and wagon perhaps to be called Giulia, a fullsize sedan and a midsize crossover, with retail appearance of the product initiative commencing perhaps as soon as next year. It would be part of Fiat's $12.3-billion spend on new models and European recovery.
The Bloomberg report says that particulars haven't been finalized, but the plan is to have six new Alfas appear over the next five years, two of which would be SUVs. The futures of the Mito and Giulietta, two of the three cars Alfa currently sells and 99 percent of sales last year, aren't assured, meaning that the lineup in six years could be seven cars (including the 4C), six of which we haven't any definitive clue of yet. The top-tier versions of those cars, according to the report - perhaps the Quadrifoglio Verde - "will be equipped with motors developed by Ferrari."
Marchionne wants to get sales up to 300,000 units per year when the lineup is complete, pairing Alfa sales with Jeep's global dealer network to open up the retail channel. That kind of volume would get Fiat's Italian plants back in business properly, even though Marchionne's stance on Italy-only Alfa production would mean the end of the anticipated roadster that was to be twinned with the coming Mazda MX-5 Miata. Alfa's direction will be laid out in Detroit in May as part of the overall strategy presentation for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.

Ferrari issues stop-sale order on 488 GTB for fire risk

The Basics: Ferrari North America has issued a stop-sale notice to its dealers regarding 2016 models of the new 488 GTB. The Problem: As with the earlier recall of the California T, the issue stems from low-pressure fuel line that may not connect properly to the feed pipe of the fuel pump. That could cause a fuel leak in the engine compartment, which could in turn start a fire. Injuries/Deaths: None reported. The fix: Dealers will need to replace the fuel line assembly. If you own one: All the problematic units of the 488 are in dealer hands. According to the statement below from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "no un-remedied Ferrari 488 vehicles have been sold to the public." Ferrari S.p.A. informed Ferrari North America, Inc. (FNA) of the possible defect on the low pressure fuel line connection of the fuel pump provided by Ferrari's supplier Dytech – Dynamic Fluid Technologies S.p.A. on 11/17/15. Ferrari S.p.A. has informed FNA that during a routine pressure check for Assembly Line Testing on 11/04/15, they found a small air leak on the above described pipe connection. On 11/05/15 Ferrari S.p.A. extended their testing to evaluate vehicles that had been produced with the same batch of low pressure fuel lines. On 11/17/15 Ferrari S.p.A. concluded the investigatory testing and determined that the fuel vapor leak was a safety defect. With regard to the Ferrari 488 vehicles, on or about December 10, 2016 Ferrari determined that affected vehicles had left our control bound for various Ferrari dealers. We have notified our dealer network with a "Stop Sale" Notice informing them that this recall must be performed before the affected vehicles are sold to customers. It is important to note that no un-remedied Ferrari 488 vehicles have been sold to the public.

Ferrari 250 TR recreation channels the spirit of Fangio

Peter Giacobbi grew up watching the likes of Juan Manuel Fangio and Phil Hill race cars like the Ferrari 250 TRs when he was a kid. Once he grew up – or at least grew older – he knew he had to have one to call his own. The trouble is that original Testa Rossas sell for tens of millions these days, and as accomplished as he may have been in his life and career, Giacobbi didn't have that kind of money to spend on a car. So he did the next best thing and built one of his own. Fortunately Giacobbi had some experience building exotic sports cars. He formed half of the duo that created the Sinthesis 2000, a one-off concept that he and designer Tom Tjaarda unveiled at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. And that project ended up serving as his interview for the job of chief engineer for DeLorean. So when he set to building his own Testa Rossa, he knew how to go about it. His recreation may not be 100 percent authentic, but then it's not entirely fake, either. The bodywork is genuine, as are many of the parts. The rest he faithfully reproduced or had made specially. The result, as you can see, is quite stunning – especially left bare in its hand-beaten aluminum form. Hear his story, see his project, and listen to that Colombo V12 engine sing in this latest video installment from the cinematographic artisans at Petrolicious.